Mother’s Milk DHA Calculator
This recommendation is meant to be a guide for how much DHA you may need in your diet to reach your Mother’s Milk DHA target, based on research by Makrides et al. 1996. Up to 3,000 mg per day of EPA and DHA is considered safe and is set as the upper limit in the calculator. We recommend you test at 1 month postpartum and again in 2-4 weeks to see if your diet changes are working for you. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any major changes to your diet.
The Mother’s Milk DHA Test measures the amount of this important nutrient in your blood using a simple finger prick collection method that you can do at home.
Only enter the DHA you are getting through supplements, which you can find on the Nutrient Facts Panel on the back of your supplement. Don’t try to guess how much you are getting through food and sunlight.
- A lactating woman with a Mother’s Milk DHA level of 0.15% who doesn’t take any supplemental DHA or eat fish regularly should try to take at least 200 mg DHA per day to reach 0.32% within a month.
- A lactating woman with a Mother’s Milk DHA level of 0.20% who takes a supplement with 200 mg DHA per day should try to boost her daily intake to at least 300 mg DHA per day to reach 0.32% within a month.
The Mother’s Milk DHA Test measures the amount of omega-3 DHA in breast milk using a simple finger prick collection method that you can do at home.
Dosage Info
European regulatory authorities have set the upper limit at 5000 mg per day of EPA and DHA. Learn more >
What kind of Omega-3 Should I Take?
Eating fish or taking a supplement with both DHA and EPA are healthful for mom and baby.
Using a supplement with EPA and DHA is recommended, but be sure that there is at least 200 mg of DHA per serving.
Supplemental omega-3 studies have used both fish oil (with both EPA and DHA) or algal DHA with success.
Use the fish table in the Mother’s Milk DHA report to pick the fish with the highest omega-3 content and the lowest mercury levels. Learn more >
DHA levels alone in milk are a much stronger predictor of beneficial outcomes compared to EPA levels alone.
Now What?
1
Use this information to make changes to your diet and supplement routine.
2
Confirm your Mother’s Milk DHA level has improved with dietary changes by re-testing in 1-2 months.
1
Use this information to make changes to your diet and supplement routine.
2
Confirm your Mother’s Milk DHA level has improved with dietary changes by re-testing in 1-2 months.